Author: Bill

Sitting here, warm now, wondering if I made a bad decision to Move to Missoula Montana. We have not had summer yet. We do get sunny days but they last a couple days at the most. Last night as I returned from my ride I was drenched again and that in itself is only part of the frustration. It has been so cold out that our bodies are starting to act like its winter.

The water I have boiling for my tea is just about boiled away but I am not concerned because I already fixed myself up with a Bengal Spice with almond milk. I left the remainder water to boil so as to give off some heat in the form of steam. My apartment tends to remain cold and with winter raging outside I am feeling cold and in need of a warm cocoon.

I think to tonight and the Missoula Thursday Night Ride. Will it be worth going out to Blue Mountain at 6? Is it going to continue to rain? How cold will it be? Should I prepare for hypothermia?

My new shoes and many clothing items remain wet as they have for the entire spring/winter/spring/winter. Everything is molding and the sun refuses to remain out long enough to dry us out.

My thoughts flee to another frustration, being without money. I missed last weekends race in Boise a 8 Hour Endurance Event. Its one thing to miss cross country races but to start skipping what I love to do, endurance racing; is a heart and soul breaking shame. It is tough to think that I only have three races left this year (ones that have been paid for) and it is not even summer yet. Not liking this situation and pushing my thoughts to making some changes after this season.

I will probably go out to Blue tonight but my attitude has been left behind in the memories of better times when the sun used to shine and the trails used to be dry. Then there is working on the equipment all night

Last night I was gearing up for a session in the Pain Lab and I got a ring from my friend Ed. The sun was finally out, and he was biting at the bit to get out. His better half Laurie had already been out in the North Hills (Waterworks Hill) and was reporting a “Carpet of flowers” and “bitterroots everywhere”.  I just could not imagine bitterroot flowers everywhere. From my experience in the last 4 years it was a lucky day to even see two bitterroot flowers.

So I bailed on my workout with full plans to get the hike over with (there I go again) and then get back home to the Pain Lab to do some core. I would then move my hill intervals to this morning. As of this writing, I have done my intervals but still no Pain Lab. That happens upon the completion of this post.

So I showed up at their house and we jetted over to the Orange Street Trail Head and started my 10K loop backwards. We searched high and low for a carpet of wild flowers, but all we saw were noxious weeds. They were everywhere and playing havoc with my sinuses.

We did what I call the “City Side” and over to the “Land Fill Side”. Still no flowers. Soon we forgot what we were looking for and conversed about important topics such as f’ed up educational practices and how one trains for the Butte 100 (Butte 50 for Ed).

Then it was over to the “Homestead” and up the Waterworks Ridge. Down to the fence line and “Rocky Side”. Still no flowers, but thee day was gorgeous, and I was wondering about something that was written on the side of a birdhouse on one fence. I can’t remember the name, like birthed or poppedpoutathoticus or bunch-of-birds-were-born-here.  Ed said it meant that a bunch of birds were born here.

So then we hiked down into the hidden valley, still no wild flowers, although at a previous time it looked like the Balsam Root Arrow Leaf (Whatever) had been out but were now dead. Then it happened.

The weekend is at hand and while I didn’t get out a decent blog I do offer an excuse. You see one for the proposals of where I work is gone and when that happens all hell breaks out and everything is full of stress and chaotic psycho freakiness. As a token of my shortcomings as a blogger (and if yesterday’s video didn’t do it) I offer up a photo of last weekends group ride and whishes that this weekend bring us all un muddied single track.

The week was not a full loss even though most rides were in freezing rain. The Missoula Thursday Night Ride was a positive. I showed up to a cheery crowd to announce, “Lets just get this over with” fully expecting it to rain in a place where I knew would be 10 degrees colder then the current meeting spot. All things said it turned out great. I had to leave the group early as they tend to stay up all night and I had to get much needed sleep. But that brings to the title of this blog “Woman Hater”.

I didn’t get much of the sleep thing as I wondered about my newly received label as “woman hater”.  Am I a woman hater? I thought I just hated everything. If you know me I am always saying things to poke fun at ignorance. For instance when I say, “that is a girl ride” I am just making fun. Face it, some people actually think that way. I hate them

Hold onto your Stetsons, folks, because I just got a doozy in the mail. This fancy-schmancy envelope promised me a spot on the coveted America’s Got Talent judges’ table. Now, in my neck of the woods, Connecticut, your boss legally owes you five whole days of jury duty pay. After that, it’s a bit less glamorous, but hey, a day off is a day off, right?

Except, Montana plays by its own quirky rules. I checked the Missoula federal website, expecting the same deal. Nope! Turns out, here, your employer can leave you high and dry, cash-wise. They just can’t fire you (laid off? Now that’s a different story…). So, what’s the grand prize for sacrificing a day’s pay for “The Duty”? A whopping $12 for showing up as potential juror fodder, and a princely $25 if you actually get to sit on a case. Wow, talk about pizza dreams at The Bridge (spoiler alert: not happening on that budget).

Now, let’s get real. I’m giving up a day’s work because someone went rogue and robbed a bank. You know what? I’m starting to see their point. Maybe they were desperate after enduring endless America’s Got Talent auditions. I can’t blame them! So, here’s my official statement: Yes, I’m biased. My sympathies lie with anyone willing to risk life and limb for a quick buck. They’re probably just trying to avoid another season of watching people juggle flaming bowling pins.

And now the rest of the story. Sorry folks just have been away from the computer. I want to finalize this project so I can post some happenings along with awesome photos of last weekends caloric festival and bike rides.

Note on photos: OK! so I have lost my mind and cant remember who took what photo. So lets just say the photos to the left courtesy of Marta and Rich Shattuck, and Bob Waggoner.

We left off with Sten pulling the weight for the team while I recovered from cramps. As I was waiting for Sten in the transition area I overhear the second place team talking. They were un-aware I was standing right next to them. “The guy Bill is really killing it but his team mate is a little slower. I think they are starting to slow down and we are a couple minutes behind them right now and I think we are going to take the lead soon.”

Obviously they were referring to my slow down but before I could think about it Sten came rolling in as strong as ever. I told him about what I overheard and turned on the gas. That was the last we heard of them. Apparently they had a mechanical and had to cancel their lap. We were now a lap up on the field.

As we rode into the night it was becoming apparent that we needed to switch from attack mode to defend our lead which had grown to be a lap up on the rest of the field.

Only one bump happened just before night fall and once I was over that everything seems to be cake. I had just mounted my lights and went to change the lenses in my new Optic Nerve sunglasses to clear. I just won them at the Devils Slide and it was the 2nd time I changed the lenses. I did as instructed (yes I read instructions) and snap … BROKE THEM. Lucky for me my friend Rich heard my frustrated explicative and offered me his yellow lens glasses he had as a backup. They worked flawlessly and surprisingly I could see well.

The night was great even though it was a little chilly at times. It seems most of my time off the bike was spent changing clothes, eating, and trying to manage what was wet and what was dry. Thankfully I had Action Wipes to keep the undercarriage fresh and all I had to do was keep finding dry shorts. This made the night laps very comfy and I was loving the course at night. In fact the night went by really fast.

Just as dawn approached I figured I was having a great time but I may have been hallucinating as well. On top of the “Devils Up” climb I heard monkeys. Yep! Monkeys. In the trees. No kidding. I asked around on my next pit and I got varied looks so I dropped it and chalked it up to hallucinating. Can you call it that if it was just sounds?  Anyway the pancake breakfast feed at the transition area made me quickly forget the Monkeys.

Then there was the chicken. I kept seeing signs about the chicken and thought it was just a section that was rougher then hell. Why did they call it the chicken? I loved the signs because they were at the end of the lap and that meant one chicken dance and I was done with another lap.

Sten had a mishap that morning and broke his bike. The derailleur cable was busted. He rode the entire lap in one gear but we didn’t loose any ground. I came in and wondered if I should do a third lap but Rich let him borrow his back up bike to finish out the day. I love it, the second place team had a chance to watch us squander but instead reached out a hand. Thanks again Rich.

Next thing we knew we were on the home stretch. Sten rode with a big ol grin on his face and seemingly as if we had it wrapped up and I rode like we would break down and loose a couple laps. Its never over. So my last laps were the fastest laps of my race. It felt great to have gone through 24 hours and be able to go strong. Once in a while a small cramp started to threaten but I would stand up and work it back out.

As a side note I just checked my new shoes last Friday and found that my cleats were mounted way back from what I usually mount them. Maybe that explains why I could get a cramp to go away with standing and getting out of my usually hunchback Vermonter position on the bike.

So yea, we nailed it and got first place while the other Mules also ripped it for second place.  Next year I would like to do this race seriously in the solo division like my tem-mate Jesse.

OTHER POSTS:

• Triple Ring Bob’s Photos (NEW)
• Team Muleterro Blog  Post
• Muleterro’s Flicker
• Jesse Mong’s Blog Post

I just received some photos from Bob Waggoner so enjoy some images that should of been posted yesterday. As you can see I was on the outside in photo one. Yesterday I blogged, “I passed a couple on the left side running up the outside and up against the course markings.”.

In photo two I just hopped onto the bike and am trying to make it to the front. Heavy traffic as you can see. “… got on my bike around 20th place. I still figured I could make it to the front. I still wanted to win the lap. I passed when I could“.

This is post 2 in a series of posts (my way of being lazy) about the “Round the Clock” 24 hour event at Riverside State Park in Spokane, WA last weekend.

Once I handed the timing chip to Sten he was off and I walked back to the pit area kind of dazed that I didn’t win the lap and wondering how I got so far behind. I needed to regroup.

I arrived to find everyone relaxed and talking about the elements of the start. I decided to quickly tune up my bike and go put my feet in the air. I don’t know what happened in those 20 minutes of my feet in the air. I was feeling fine and went to jump up for my next shift. As soon as the blood rushed back into the legs I cramped so bad I figured I would break my femur. It hurt so bad I almost tore down the canopy and screamed so loud the entire venue heard me. Marta (Rich and Erik’s support) assisted in working out the cramps enough so that I could hobble back to the exchange area.

The cramping worries took my mind of my previous worries. I was worried that Sten would have difficulties and cause us to drop out of first place. I must admit that publicly, right now, because he proved me wrong. Before I knew it he was coming in after ripping a 58:58 lap. We were flying and instead of me holding him up, he was going to have to hold up me as I worked through the cramps.

Sten really came through and I doubt we would of won without his consistent had effort in those initial laps. He was all business. When he came in he was focused and everyone had to yell at him to slow down and walk through the transition area.

I expected a slow lap. I have dealt with cramps before so I knew how to pedal gingerly but maintain a respectable speed. Plus I could stand up to alleviate any cramps that started to threaten. Thankfully as I kept pouring Down Carbo Rocket my legs felt better and better. By the end of the lap I was again duking it out with 4 person teams and passing folks rather then being passed.

We were off to a good start and 8 minutes up on second place “First Rate Mafia of NUUN”. With all the expectations crap out of the way Sten and I were about to put together a great race.

OTHER POSTS:

• Triple Ring Bob’s Photos (NEW)
• Team Muleterro Blog  Post
• Muleterro’s Flicker
• Jesse Mong’s Blog Post

The trip to Riverside State Park in Spokane, WA last weekend was a wet one. The “Round the Clock” 24 hour event was a team relay mountain bike race, beginning at noon on Saturday and ending at noon on Sunday. 700 competitors this year! We competed for medals, prizes and bragging rights. The great part was that during the race the wetness held off. We had fabulous conditions for our race. But it has been raining ever since.

I plan a series of blogs to report the happening of the race and how the podium ended an all Montana one. This one is about the start, it is a story in itself.

• Triple Ring Bob’s Photos (NEW)
• Team Muleterro Blog  Post
• Muleterro’s Flicker
• Jesse Mong’s Blog Post

A little background leading up to the gin Saturday at noon. Upon arriving Friday I went for a pre-ride and ended up walking back to the car. I had sliced my front tire on a sharp rock or something sharp. Upon reaching the venue I spotted Bill Schultz and asked him if he had any extra tread. He did and saved my race.

Thanks Bill. I feel very fortunate to have been able to race in Spokane and Bill was a small part. Lets not forget the Chad at Red Barn got me into some new gear just so I could ride my bike. Bob at Triple Ring Productionstook care of getting me there and my entry fee. That’s huge!! Then there is Carbo Rocket for the fuel to have a great time. There were moments of intense joy while I was riding out in the middle of the night and early AM. Has to be the Rocket. If it were not for Julie Zickovich stepping up to volunteer for Sten and I we would of been DQ(ed), she is awesome. Looks like she had a good time too.

I spent the rest of the night trying to get my new Small Block Eight to seal with Stans. Sten, Marta, Rich, Julie, Erik, and myself all settled in for a good nights rest.

Ok! Back to the start of the race. I had great position on the line front row. Just before the gun went off I realized I didn’t have our team’s timing chip. I scrambled back to the pit area and ripped apart the camp. I found it in Sten’s (Team Captain) tent. I went back to the start area and took my place mid-pack … argh. I wanted to win the lap. I needed to crawl over about 20 riders to get in front again. The gun went off.

I took a shot in the jaw from someone elbow as I tried a move to the right. I passed a couple on the left side running up the outside and up against the course markings. A couple more moves and another hit to the jaw I started up the climb and I started to slow. I have been practicing my run this spring but found myself struggling up the climb.

After the climb was a downhill single track back to the venue. I couldn’t run side hill and had to follow a slower dude down the track. People were passing and I realized I would not get to the front. Back on the front straightaway I stretched out my pace but I was toast. I didn’t think I could make it back to my bike. I was not the fastest sprinter that day for sure.  got on my bike around 20th place.

I still figured I could make it to the front. I still wanted to win the lap. I passed when I could but in the rock gardens and twisty single track I always found myself behind someone slowing way down. I thought, shouldn’t have run so fast man.

We arrived at the biggest climb of the lap and was named 8 Minute Hill. This was a good place to make contact with the leaders but for some reason I decided to ascend the hill at a moderate pace. Looking back should of went anaerobic and smashed it. In any case I was just out of ear shot of the leaders.

About half way around the loop I saw that the leaders had really put on the gas and I would never catch them. On top of that I reached a section called Little Vietnam and rode it tentatively and lost more ground. From there on out the course was kind of new for me because I had ripped my sidewall on the pre ride the day before. I rode as strong as I could to finish my lap.

I handed off to Sten and we were somewhere around the top 5 overall at that point. Oh well I thought, we had a lot of racing to do. Back at the pit area I proceeded to have a massive cramp attack. Some more lessons:

1) don’t mistake Recoverite for Perpetium during a pre race meal.
2) Not good to go all out and then put your feet in the air for 20 minutes.
3) don’t eat just before the start.
4) Sprinting is not good if your not a runner … OUCH.

To be continued…